Renegade Wife

by B.J. Daniels

When her fairy-tale life becomes a tragedy
She’s looking for vengeance

 

After her double-crossing, thieving husband disappears, Geneva Carrington Beck and her puppy—the only thing the no-account left behind—recruit Montana outfitter Calhoun St. Pierre to track him down. But their mountain mission takes a dangerous turn when criminals searching for the missing man make his bride a target…and a widow. Now a reluctant hero has to partner with and protect the renegade wife.

From Harlequin Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 20, 2024

About the author

B.J. Daniels started her life in Houston, Texas, before her family moved to Montana at age five. She grew up in a cabin in the Gallatin Canyon near Big Sky and later on Hebgen Lake near West Yellowstone. Because of her love for Montana, most of her books are set there.
Born into a storytelling family, all she'd ever wanted to do was write stories. After a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist, she wrote and sold 37 short stories before she finally wrote her first book, ODD MAN OUT. Since then she has won numerous awards including a career achievement award for romantic suspense.
She lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, two Springer Spaniels. When she isn't writing, she quilts, boats and. makes rope/fabric baskets. She always reads, loving to lose herself in a good book.

Reviews

[Jo-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story filled with adventure, danger and romance. Geneva, accustomed to a life of wealth, married Lucien, but the morning after their first anniversary party, she woke up to find him gone. All his belongings, their valuables, her inheritance, and even her wedding ring were missing. The bank accounts were drained, and even her car was taken. Confused, she discovered a key leading to a storage unit, where she found a vintage truck she didn’t know existed, along with photos in the glove box from Lucien’s hometown in Montana.

Determined to find Lucien and uncover the truth, Geneva and her puppy headed to Cooke City, Montana. There, she learned Lucien wasn’t who she thought he was. She met Calhoun, one of Lucien’s childhood friends who'd had a turbulent history with him. Geneva convinced the gruff outfitter to guide her into the mountains to search for Lucien. Montana tested Geneva, but she was determined to confront her husband, even enduring the challenge of horseback riding. She discovered Lucien had caused turmoil in the small town, making enemies who were now after Geneva for the money he owed or information on his whereabouts.

As Geneva and Calhoun evaded the criminals and navigated the treacherous trail, their bond grew stronger. It was inspiring to see Geneva transform into a resilient woman she never realized she could be.

[Karen Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

RENEGADE WIFE by BJ Daniels

When her fairy-tale life becomes a tragedy, she’s out for vengeance.

'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' describes Geneva Corrington Beck perfectly. Daniels’ RENEGADE WIFE keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. I received this complimentary advanced copy from the author, and this is my honest review.

[Valri Western · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if you woke up the morning after your big anniversary party and your "loving" husband was nowhere to be found and all his belonging are gone plus all your financial accounts are emptied? This is what happens to Geneva Beck. She thought she had the fairy tale life, and it all comes crashing down on her in an instant. Where is her husband, Lucien, and what happened? She is so confused, even when she finds a key that leads her to a storage unit with a vintage truck that she knew nothing about! WHAT. IS. GOING. ON???? Clues in the truck lead her to Montana where she meets a childhood friend, Calhoun of her husband's. Very reluctantly, Calhoun agrees to take her up to the high mountains to search for her no-account husband. Their adventures are the basis of a wild experience! Geneva's husband burned so many bridges when he left this small Montana town, and a lot of people hate him but who is actually after Lucien and why are they after Calhoun and Geneva too? As with all of this author's books, there is a lot of intrigue, non-stop action and fantastic characters! There were so many twists and turns too! The epilogue was the absolute best!!!!!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geneva woke up the morning after the birthday/anniversary party her husband threw for her to find that Lucian, both cars, her jewelry, and the money from their bank accounts were gone. The only thing left was the adorable puppy he gave her as a gift. Once she was past the shock, a lucky discovery revealed a vintage truck she didn't know existed and a glove box with pictures from Lucian's hometown in Montana.

Determined to locate Lucian and discover what was happening, Geneva and the puppy headed for Cooke City, Montana. There, she found Lucian was not the man she thought she married. One of the first people she met was Calhoun, one of Lucian's childhood friends, who had a rocky history with him. Geneva convinces the grumpy outfitter to take her into the mountains to see if Lucian is there.

Geneva grew up in a wealthy family and was out of her comfort zone in Montana. She finds unexpected inner strength as she handles the trip into the wilderness. Complicating matters, some criminals also want to find Lucian and won't hesitate to use Geneva to do so. Calhoun is a gruff and grumpy loner who is reluctant to take Geneva on the search for Lucian. But underneath that grouchy exterior is a protector with an unexpectedly soft heart when it comes to Geneva and her pup.

The next few days are intense as Calhoun and Geneva battle storms, search for Lucian, and attempt to evade the men after him. The twists and turns kept me turning the pages as they searched for answers. There were a couple of nail-biter confrontations and one semi-redemption in an intense resolution.

I liked seeing Geneva and Calhoun's relationship develop. The sparks between them are evident but not entirely welcome. Geneva is still married to Lucian and dealing with the knowledge that he is not the man she loved. Calhoun has trouble seeing past Geneva's wealthy upbringing and believing that anything between them is possible. I laughed at the advice Calhoun received from an unexpected source and felt his nervousness as he followed it. I also enjoyed seeing the changes in Geneva caused by the events in Montana and her reaching for the life she wanted. I loved that she and Calhoun took the time to get to know each other better before taking the next step. The epilogue was terrific.

I can't end the review without mentioning Geneva's puppy. Eventually named Lucky, the pup was adorable. She was also quite resilient and handled the chaos well. She played a critical role in a couple of scenes.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danger, romance, adventure, and even sadness all a part of this story. Geneva has known wealth her whole life she married Lucian. They were celebrating their first anniversary with friends. Next morning she wakes up and her husband is gone and he left her a puppy. Lu isn't wanted a life of luxury. The man Geneva knows is nothing like the one she finds looking for him. Events send her to Montana trying to find why he took all she had and left her with nothing. Geneva has no idea all the danger she meets up with even existed. She finds someone who is supposed to have been a friend of her husband. All that happens going into mountain and out she was not used to. A great read. I recommend you read it

[Tammy Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Geneva thief of a husband too her money she went looking for him. He leaves her a puppy as birthday and anniversary present. She stumbles across a key to a storage place where he left a truck in their. Also finds a picture and goes to Montana looking for him and her money. The guy I the picture his old friend Calhoun to take him to the cabin in the mountain. What will happen to Geneva and Calhoun on the mountain?
B.J. told a wonderful book story. The description was wonderful. Characters were a great match and got alone great.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

really not one to leave a review but I felt like I should for this one. I have read most of B.J.'s books and each one I think is the best one yet but boy this one kept me entertained on the edge of my seat and loved it. I was at the doctor's office and another patient saw what I was reading and asked my opinion, and I told her this was so good and was glad it was Friday so I could stay up to finish it and highly recommended that she checks B. J. out.

[Kate Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

What wife wants to wake up to find her jewelry gone, her husband gone, her car gone, and not a note to explain why he's also emptied her bank account of even her trust money from her late grandmother?

But that's what happens to Geneva Carrington. Her solution? Drive a truck she never knew existed to the place where she thinks her husband might have fled to. But will she find him or lose even more?

[Debra Shutters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this story! I was drawn in from the beginning to learn about Geneva and what is happening to her and how she meets Calhoun. Love how Geneva deals with what happened to her how she deals with it and how the relationship grows with Calhoun. Love how this story ends. I highly recommend this book and author.

[Linda C Lettau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner:

I have Renegade Wife a five star. I couldn't put the book down. It was exciting the first age to the last. It was so exciting I didn't know what was going to happen next. Or how it was going to end. I'm not going to give anything away you have to read and enjoy for yourself. Definitely a page turner that's for sure.

[Rhonda Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this book had ended about 40 pages sooner I would have given it a 5. I thought the end dragged and didn't match the tone of the rest of the book. I still enjoyed it but just not enough to give it a 5.

[Carl Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating

I slways injoy books written by b.j. Daniel. As always very good from start to finish. Makes one see the whole scene and the surroundings looking forwardto. Read thre next books that she may have in the works.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geneva wakes up the day after her anniversary with everything wrong. When she finds out that her husband is a no good piece of crap she sets out to try to find him.

When she makes it to Montana she finds Calhoun, who reluctantly agrees to help her out.

While they are searching for her no good ex lots happen.

Another wonderfully written book.

[Kathy Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely Story 😍

I read the excerpt from another book, and I had to grab the book. It was a great story with lots of suspense and action mixed with the romance. Strong woman and good man.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love BJ Daniels books.She writes romantic suspense books. I highly recommend reading all her books.

[Charlotte L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Both Books

Story lines for both book had lot of excitement.
The characters were perfect.
Hope you enjoy both stories as well as I did!

[Maureen Hubley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put the book down. Finished in a day!

[Sandy Frediani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, light read. Geneva and Calhoun are interesting characters. The story is very much a category romance with gaps and "fluff overs," but it does flow. Not one of the author's best.

[hope s. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️s

📖 paperback

I literally read this entire book in one sitting! I could not put it down. It's engaging right off the bat setting up some mystery and suspense when introducing the FMC, Geneva. It's a good mix of the classic forced proximity and fish out of water tropes. There's a steady slow burn with modest bursts of passion. Calhoun had me giggling and kicking my feet like a school girl and he really fits the grumpy for everyone else but soft for her (and lucky the puppy) archetype. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the story felt a bit rushed, it's a short book with just 219 pages including the epilogue. It felt like a lot was shoved into so few pages, making the story seem a bit "busy" at times. It would have been nice to have seen Calhoun and Geneva bond more on the mountain and even have some more intimate moments than just the few brief ones we get.

🌶️/ not very "spicy", more plot based with no smut. The most spice you get is some steamy make out sessions and the implication of the act.

♥️/ pretty romantic with a solid slow burn that leads to strong feelings and declarations of love.

🎬/ pretty heavily plot driven with a decent amount of suspense and plot twists. Some of it predictable but there were some moments that had me with my mouth open.

[Karen Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was predictable but still very enjoyable. I did find that the romance was a bit more believable as they weren’t committing to each other after only 3 days. One of the more interesting characters turns out to be Ace but that doesn’t happen until near the end. I would recommend reading it.

[Bill Escarre · Rating 5 out of 5]

B.j. Daniels Renegade Wife has recharged me as I was reading this book. It was exciting to read, and you could feel the emotions of the characters as they were being introduced. Geneva's husband Lucian is throwing her a combined 30th Birthday party and 1st year anniversary party at their home. All has been like a fairytale this past year, what more could she want. Lucian presented her with a puppy at the party before everyone left. Her world changed as she woke up the next morning. Everything that was so wonderful was now just a memory except for this unwanted gift of a pet. The realization of what has happened wasn't going to get her down or let him get away with it. Her uncomfortable lifestyle is now in full "I'm going to get him now" mode. Her detective work has led her to Montana to continue her search for Lucian, if that's his real name. Calhoun St. Pierre is a local mountain man that hires out to hunters and tourist to see the mountains there in Cooke City Montana. Did Geneva make the right decision to try to find Lucian despite all of the warnings she was getting from the local people? Was Calhoun St. Pierre going to break his rule to never take a woman up into those mountains? You can feel the pain in both of these characters as they continue their unknown adventure.

[Phylis Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geneva got married and thought everything would be perfect. Then when her first anniversary came around they had a big party. As with any B.J. Daniel's book you know it is going to be really good.

This one will not disappoint. I enjoyed it and read it pretty quickly. I just did not want to put it down.

[Karen Strang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geneva Beck woke up from her birthday party/anniversary party to find her husband gone, along with all of his clothes, both of their cars, all of her jewels & all of their money. The only thing left, was the puppy he had given her for her 30th birthday. She had also received an inheritance when she turned 30, which he took also.
Going into her bedroom, she stepped on something on the carpet to discover a key. She soon finds the key is for a storage facility & inside, she finds an old, restored pickup truck along with some pictures with the name of a town called Cooke City, Montana.
She decides to take the pickup & drive to Cooke City in search of her husband, only to find, when she gets there, that everyone there knows that pickup & everyone is looking for its owner, Lucian Beck, which puts her in danger. She finds a former friend of Lucian’s, Calhoun St Pierre & convinces him to help her look for him up in the mountains, where Lucian has a camp from childhood.
Did he go up there? Will they find him before the other guys who are also after him, find him or will the other guys find them & kill them?
This book really holds your interest, I’m sure you will enjoy it!

[DeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renegade Wife
By B.J. Daniels
Release date August 20, 2024

A real page Turner! Read it in a day!
Geneva Carrington Beck wakes up after her 30th birthday/anniversary party to find her husband gone and she is all alone with her new puppy. Lucien left her and took everything of value right down to the wedding ring off her finger. All bank accounts emptied, and her inheritance gone! Even her car.
She has no idea what happened to make him do this. She finds a key to a storage unit and in it is a vintage truck. In the truck, she finds papers that lead her to Montana and. Lucien once best friend Calhoun.

B.J. Has done it again! Nonstate, action, intrigue, and wonderful characters. Loved the epilogue it really wrap things up and a neat little package.

Thank you, B.J. For allowing me to read this ARC in return for my honest review.